Nirmala Sitharaman holds back-to-back bilaterals on sidelines of IMF-World Bank meetings

Image Courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: On the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank meetings, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held back-to-back bilaterals with global finance ministers and heads of the top international organizations in Washington DC on topics that centred on important economic issues. The minister held a series of discussions during her bilateral meetings with top officials of several international bodies including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), money laundering and terrorism watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Sitharaman held bilateral talks with UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner where both leaders exchanged views on several key economic issues. The finance minister also held wide-ranging discussions with the FATF President Raja Kuman during her jam-packed schedule on Wednesday. ()

Moreover, Sitharaman held talks with OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann and South Korea Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-Ho. Sitharaman is on an official visit to the United States to attend the IMF and the World Bank annual meetings, the G20 Finance Ministers and the Central Bank Governor (FMCBG) Meetings. ()

The Finance Minister is holding bilateral meetings with a number of countries from around the world. She is also holding one-on-one meetings with leaders and heads of the European Commission. On the sidelines of IMF-WB, Sitharaman met ministers from Egypt, Bhutan, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met her Bhutan counterpart Lyonpo Namgay Tshering in Washington and expressed India`s wish to expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries including hydropower, and COVID-19 assistance, among other issues."

Union Finance Minister Smt. N Sitharaman meets with Mr Lyonpo Namgay Tshering, Finance Minister of Bhutan, on the sidelines of the IMF-WB annual meetings, in Washington DC, today," the finance ministry tweeted."The FM said that India is looking forward to expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries to new and emerging areas such as space, digital technologies, the financial sector, the health sector and tertiary education," the ministry added.

Sitharaman reiterated that India would like to take forward and "further deepen India-Bhutan bilateral relations for the development and well-being of our people."The Bhutan Finance Minister, on his part, thanked the Indian government for providing aid in implementing their 12th Five-Year Plan and the additional USD 200mn currency swap arrangement."

Lyonpo Namgay Tshering expressed gratitude to GoI for providing assistance in implementing their 12th Five-Year Plan and the additional $200mn currency swap arrangement. He also thanked India for the BhimUPI and RuPay rollout already done in Bhutan," the ministry said.

During the last part of the visit, the Union Finance Minister will attend roundtable meetings with USIBC and USISPF on themes to `Strengthen Investment and Innovation in India-US Corridor` and "Investing in India`s Digital Revolution".These meetings with leading business leaders and investors are aimed at highlighting India`s policy priorities and deliberating on measures to facilitate foreign investment by showcasing India`s attractiveness as an investment destination.